Solar build progress on 04190P

[DSS]

Hi all, just sharing some pics of my solar build and an overview. I'm not an active member here but I shared this with my FB Roadtrek group and was given a suggestion to do the same here. I had a stroke just before Labor Day, were it not for that, this would be completed and out on the road.

2004 190, 935 watts of installed panels, main panel is a Canadian solar 440, it tilts electrically. All of the smaller panels are no drill mount, the main panel mounts are physically secured to the van roof. I had much better pictures of the process leading to this but my phone was destroyed when I fell down due to the stroke and the images could not be recovered.

The side mounted panels are there to take advatage of the suns path as it moves across the sky and work great in that function, first light in the morning and either side will start producing before the skyward panels have enough light to trigger the mppt.

Cool cat has been removed and replaced with a modified Midea U window ac. The Onan genset is gone, but I've kept the case and it will be used as a battery compartment. The battery tray behind the rear wheel will also be utilized, all of the batteries are heated lithium, 500 ah total, 12v system. I've replaced the stock alternator with a mechman 390 and I've run 1/0 positive and negative cables from the house electric compartment to the engine bay, eliminating the rather small positive only cable RT used (they used the chassis as ground and relied on the GM ground straps to complete the circuit).

The panels are divided into 4 zones, forward roof, main panel, driver side, and passenger side. Each zone has it's own mppt in the trunk/underbed storage area.

Dometic fridge has been removed, has a dorm style ac powered fridge in it's place. With the exception of the fridge the rest of the propane system is intact.

The outside is 90% finished, but the interior systems were in a more of a "testing" setup before the stroke, and still are now, so until I can clear up my own wiring rat's nest and removed trim panels you'll have to excuse the lack of interior pictures and a clear description, but the standard RT house system remains in place, with a 2000 watt inverter taking the place of the generator on the transfer switch, I've also reversed the transfer switch input so that the inverter has priority. Previously, shore was priority with the genset needing to hold a relay closed.

[DSS]

More pics, sorry about image quality, some of these are re-sent and modified images form text messages.

[The Eyesore]

Wow, you've left nowhere for the sun to hide, haha! I'm curious, why the blue paint on the condenser?

[DSS]

Good question, I tore the entire Midea apart after test fitting it to add drain tubes to the condensate tray on the interior portion, while it was apart I added the coating, which is not regular spray paint, but Gulf Coat condenser coating. Normally this stuff is only used on hvac equipment within a few miles of the coast as the salt air will eat the aluminum fins, I just wanted to add some protection.

[The Eyesore]

Ah, I see!

[Bud]

Originally Posted by DSS

Hi all, just sharing some pics of my solar build and an overview. I'm not an active member here but I shared this with my FB Roadtrek group and was given a suggestion to do the same here. I had a stroke just before Labor Day, were it not for that, this would be completed and out on the road.

2004 190, 935 watts of installed panels, main panel is a Canadian solar 440, it tilts electrically. All of the smaller panels are no drill mount, the main panel mounts are physically secured to the van roof. I had much better pictures of the process leading to this but my phone was destroyed when I fell down due to the stroke and the images could not be recovered.

The side mounted panels are there to take advatage of the suns path as it moves across the sky and work great in that function, first light in the morning and either side will start producing before the skyward panels have enough light to trigger the mppt.

Cool cat has been removed and replaced with a modified Midea U window ac. The Onan genset is gone, but I've kept the case and it will be used as a battery compartment. The battery tray behind the rear wheel will also be utilized, all of the batteries are heated lithium, 500 ah total, 12v system. I've replaced the stock alternator with a mechman 390 and I've run 1/0 positive and negative cables from the house electric compartment to the engine bay, eliminating the rather small positive only cable RT used (they used the chassis as ground and relied on the GM ground straps to complete the circuit).

The panels are divided into 4 zones, forward roof, main panel, driver side, and passenger side. Each zone has it's own mppt in the trunk/underbed storage area.

Dometic fridge has been removed, has a dorm style ac powered fridge in it's place. With the exception of the fridge the rest of the propane system is intact.

The outside is 90% finished, but the interior systems were in a more of a "testing" setup before the stroke, and still are now, so until I can clear up my own wiring rat's nest and removed trim panels you'll have to excuse the lack of interior pictures and a clear description, but the standard RT house system remains in place, with a 2000 watt inverter taking the place of the generator on the transfer switch, I've also reversed the transfer switch input so that the inverter has priority. Previously, shore was priority with the genset needing to hold a relay closed.

Nice project. Curious, why did you not cover the 3 windows with solar?

[DSS]

I thought about it, but the idea was dismissed shortly after I mentioned it, and not by me, lol ��

Originally the idea was a folding panel that could be propped up to match the other panels, and put down for travel, the problem was it would have to be manual folding and would be a two person job to lift/collapse, which is how I ended up with the big panel aft of the vent fan with electric tilt.